406: Hunters and prey in the arena of fame and fortune!

The celebration banquet in Cangming City surpassed everyone's imagination in terms of extravagance.

The entire banquet hall seemed to be built from crystal and gemstones, with a dazzling starry sky simulated on the dome, casting a dreamlike, illusory light.

The air was filled with the aroma of delicious food and the fragrance of fine wine, while melodious music flowed by their ears.

Impeccably dressed and elegant servers shuttled through the crowd like butterflies.

Elite Lords from all over the world had swapped their battle suits for the most magnificent formal wear.

The gentlemen were handsome and upright, the ladies were charming and captivating; the clinking of glasses painted a picture of high society's fleeting world.

However, beneath this peaceful and joyful facade surged turbulent undercurrents and naked desire.

This place was a massive field of fame and fortune.

It was also a cruel hunting ground.

Those Lords ranked lower on the god ranking list, or those from smaller nations, were the most sought-after prey in this hunting ground.

"Mr. Carlos, hello, I am Arthur, the Vice President of the Knights of the Round Table Guild."

A young nobleman with blond hair, blue eyes, and a charming smile approached a dark-skinned, robust middle-aged man while holding a wine glass.

Carlos was ranked seventy-eighth on the god ranking list, hailing from a small, obscure nation.

Seeing this S-Rank Genius who had achieved a top-ten finish in the individual competition, he felt overwhelmingly honored and quickly stood up:

"Mr. Arthur, hello, hello! I watched your matches, they were spectacular!"

"Haha, just a few minor tricks, nothing worth mentioning." Arthur smiled modestly, then changed the subject.

"Mr. Carlos, I'll be direct."

"Our Knights of the Round Table Guild highly admires your strength and potential."

"We sincerely invite you to join us."

"We are prepared to offer you an annual salary of one million gold coins, a luxurious manor in the core district of London, and a hereditary Baron title!"

"Furthermore, we promise to provide you with top-tier resources to help you achieve a Breakthrough to Level 10 within five years!"

"Hiss—"

Carlos gasped, completely stunned by the offer.

One million gold coins annually?

A luxurious manor?

A hereditary Baron title?

This... this was something he hadn't even dared to dream about!

He was just an ordinary D-Grade Lord whose country struggled to even ensure basic sustenance!

"Mr. Arthur... you... you aren't joking, are you?"

Carlos's voice trembled.

"Of course not." Arthur's smile was full of confidence.

"We Knights of the Round Table never make promises lightly."

"But once we promise, we always deliver. That is the creed of our knights."

Just as Carlos's mind was reeling and he was about to agree on the spot, another voice interrupted.

"Baron? Heh, are sun-never-setting titles still worth anything these days?"

A woman in a fiery red dress, with a voluptuous figure and wild charm, sauntered over, swirling a glass of red wine.

"Mr. Carlos, don't listen to this pretty boy's nonsense."

"Come to our Spear of Vulcan Mercenary Group; we don't deal in empty promises!"

"If you nod, five million gold coins are yours!"

"We'll also gift you a private island in the Tropical Sea Area, complete with a hundred beautiful female servants for you to choose from!"

"What we can give you is only the most tangible things! Money! Women! Status!"

The woman's words were filled with naked temptation.

Carlos looked at the large chest of gold coins she presented, feeling like his breath was about to stop.

Five million gold coins!

He had never seen so much money in his entire life!

"You!" Arthur's expression changed, and he looked angrily at the woman.

"What? Are you unhappy?" The woman sneered.

"You people are about to be finished; who are you trying to fool with an empty title?"

"Our mercenary group just signed a long-term cooperation agreement worth over a hundred million with the Holy Land's merchant guild!"

"We are the future!"

Arthur's face instantly turned extremely grim.

The decline of his nation had cheapened both his status and his promises.

Carlos looked at the two people before him, caught in a fierce internal struggle.

On one side was the major guild representing traditional glory and a stable future; on the other, the mercenary group representing the rising power and direct benefits.

How should he choose?

And scenes like this were unfolding in every corner of the banquet hall.

The geniuses who had made a name for themselves on the god ranking list had become hotly contested prizes for all major powers.

Money, status, beautiful women, Divine Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques... every imaginable and unimaginable temptation was laid out on the table as bargaining chips.

Countless ordinary Lords soared to the heavens in one night, achieving a leap in class.

They excitedly and gratefully accepted the recruitment offers from the great figures they could previously only look up to.

In their hearts, they held the most fervent adoration for the Holy Lord Mo Yan, who had given them all this.

Of course, where there was triumph, there was also disappointment.

The atmosphere in the Dragon Country Official Representative Team's resting area felt somewhat out of place.

Zhang Wei, Bai Yuanlong, and the other favored sons of heaven.

They sat in silence, watching the grassroots geniuses being fawned over by countless people in the distance, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Not long ago, they were the center of attention, the objects of everyone's pursuit and envy.

But now, they were like forgotten corners, ignored by everyone.

Fourth place in the rankings was failure to them.

And the loser was not qualified to enjoy the victor's glory.

"I'm not reconciled..." Bai Yuanlong clenched his fist, glancing with jealousy at Carlos, who was surrounded by countless people.

A guy with D-Grade talent, just for making it onto the god ranking list, gets so much?

While he, the ace of the Dragon Country Military, had to sit here drinking in frustration?

"If you're not reconciled, then swallow that resentment! And turn it into the driving force for you to become stronger!"

He Yongping's voice sounded from behind them.

He walked over holding two glasses of wine and handed one to Bai Yuanlong.

"I know you all feel bad. But this is reality."

"In this era, only results matter, not the process. Only strength matters, not background."

"All your previous halos are worthless here."

"If you want to regain the respect of others, if you want to be the center of the stage again, there is only one way."

He Yongping looked at them and said word by word: "Get stronger! Become stronger than all of them!"

Bai Yuanlong and Zhang Wei exchanged glances, seeing a blazing fire in each other's eyes.

They drained the wine in their cups.

"General, we understand!"

He Yongping nodded with satisfaction.

Failure was not terrifying.

What was terrifying was collapsing after failing.

He believed that these finest children of Dragon Country would definitely rise again from this blow.

Just then, the music in the banquet hall suddenly changed.

It shifted from leisurely classical music to a rhythmic dance track.

Couples walked onto the dance floor and began to dance gracefully.

And an unexpected person walked through the crowd and directly approached He Yongping.

It was a man wearing a black trench coat and a silver mask covering his face.

It was the captain of that mysterious runner-up team, the Fog City Night Watchmen.

"General He, do you have time to talk?"

The man spoke, his voice processed to sound somewhat hoarse, making his age indiscernible.

General He's pupils contracted violently.